argh

Frustrating tournament day...summary :

$200+16 Winner's Choice on Full Tilt. I had to buy in because Full Tilt still hasn't redeamed my lost satellite win. Anwyay, a unique hand came up where I called a min raise on the button with Jd9d, (I believe I called 120 initially, and then the bb made a moronic small raise that built the pot and I put 240 of my 1900 stack in preflop vs three other players). The flop came down Qd 8d 6s giving me a nice two way draw. The blind re-raiser went all in, 1500 into the 1000 pot, another stack that had me covered flat called and I went all in. AQ vs 88 vs my draw and I missed so I was out early.

$300 Qualifier on Dise : This is a 5 handed qualifier with a great structure to their Atlantis tournament. About 10 hands in a really aggressive donkey raised utg and I was on the button with AA and I put in a re-raise. The SB made a small re-raise and utg flat called. I decided that the SB was doing to call so I just went all in and they both called. KK for the SB and Ad2d for the utg donkey. The flop was Kxx and then went diamond diamond so the donkey scooped. This may be the neatest qualifier ever and I think I have a big edge here. I will be playing this tourney a lot.

$200 Qualifier on Dise : I started off slowly as usual, but finally got up to about 10k when this somewhat bizarre hand happened. We were at the 100/200 level when two players limped in and I raised on the button with AK to 1050, the SB had the same amount of chips as I did and min re-raised to 1900. The limpers folded. His re-raise was a sign of a strong hand normally so I decided to just call and take a look at the flop. The flop came A34, which was great for me, but as anyone says in this situation that means you aren't getting paid off by QQ type pairs. My opponent made a very small bet and I called. The turn was a blank club, putting three clubs on the board and I had the Kc. (Ac was on the board). My opponent bet out small again and this time I made a small raise and he called. The river was an offsuit king and he checked, I bet an amount I thought he would call with queens or jacks (hoping that he didn't spike the 1 outer with KK), so I bet 3000 of his remaining 5500. He called and my hand was good. I was amongst the chip leaders with about 35 left.

I then lost a bunch of chips in two hands. The first was when I raised with 76 and a big stack called me from the bb. The flop came down J54 two diamonds and he min bet into me. I think the most common read here is a diamond draw, but I wanted to put a little pressure on him and take a free card on the turn so I raised his 400 bet to 2000. He called quickly. The turn was a diamond that didn't give me a straight and it went check/check. The river missed me again and i was forced to fold when he bet.

On a very similar hand, I raised from EP with 87 suited. I was trying to mix it up here a bit and accumulate chips when the blinds were still small. A different big blind called again and the flop was JT7 two spades. My opponent checked and I bet 2000 and he quickly called. The turn was a king and it went check/check. The river was an offsuite 9 which gave me a donkey straight. My opponent bet 2400 and with the pot laying me over 3:1 I called and he won with QsJs. (why he didn't raise the flop is beyond me).

So fast forward to a hand where I am in the BB with 36o. The player from the QQ/AK hand open limped , as he did often and the flop was 3d6hJh. I checked, the limper bet near the pot, I raised, he went all in, and I called quickly as its pretty hard to put him on something other than one pair. He had KdJd and runnered diamonds to beat my two pair - and I was down to 3000 (5 big blinds) with about 18 players left.

I posted the BB and found ATo and a player open limped, the SB completed, and I jammed. The limper folded but the SB called with A2 and I knew it was over when I saw the A43 flop. The 5 on the turn sealed the deal.

$25 rebuy qualifier on dise : This tourney can be summed up in two hands after the break. One where I had top pair good kicker against an uber donkey and put chips in the pot and timed out because my connection went out - and I lost some chips there. the other was when he opened the pot for 1400 (blinds were 100/200) and I jammed for 3300 with Ad9d. I wouldn't normally do this but he had put large raises in before with shitty ass cards. He had A5 and the 5 on the river sent me home.

$150+12 on Party : I got up to 1500 when I ran two pair into a larger two pair against another uber donk.

$250+20 LA qualifier on Bodog : I actually flopped a set and won a nice pot in this tourney. Then I won a nice pot with 88 vs 76 on a 554 flop... I got it up to 6k with about 25 people left. Then I bluffed off my chips in this great hand : Player brings it in for 300, I call in position with QdJd and the button calls. The flop is AT8 rainbow and the raiser checks, I check and the button checks. The turn is a blank (go figure, I miss my draw), raiser checks, I bet 600 into the 1000 pot, button folds, raiser calls. Its pretty clear he doesn't have a big ace here, probably a hand like JT or KK/QQ. The river misses me again and he checks and I fire him in for his last 2000 or so. He beats me into the pot with KK and then taunts me for being a donkey. Ok, my play is pretty transparent there. I wish I would've bet the flop and that would have helped my cause... but I also get a lot of folds in that spot.

I won a coin flip to get back to 7500 or so and I make it to the final table with a pretty low stack of around 5500. I pick up AK in the SB with the blinds 150/300. A player brings it in for 800 and he gets flat called, I have the easy jam, the original player folds but the cold caller ( who made a number of bizarre plays) had QsQh and called. The flop comes Kh8h3h (I don't have any hearts) and of course the river is a heart. I'd have 12k if I can win that pot and I have a real shot at the seat.

Other than that I went 0 for 7 in sit and goes today. Can't seem to win a coin flip when it counts.

I'm off to beat the tar out of some weak tight losers at 20/40. Wish me luck.